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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. prune — to trim
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — to grow
  7. suit — clothes
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. race — humankind
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — certain
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. race — a contest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lean — thin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — the underground
  21. race — the arms race
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com