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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bank — for money
  4. object — a thing
  5. last — to go on
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — the time now
  13. wax — to grow
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. tube — a container
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — an aim
  20. mug — a face
  21. sharp — clever
  22. last — final
  23. object — to protest
  24. mug — to rob

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