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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.

Make a worksheet

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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pitch — completely
  7. saw — the tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. bear — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — the underground
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. tube — a container
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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