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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 124 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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — a partner
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cell — in biology
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. game — a match
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — to breed
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wax — to grow

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