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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. scale — size or range
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. file — a document
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. swing — to play on
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a line of people
  20. scale — in music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tube — a container
  23. swing — music
  24. lean — thin

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