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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — the underground
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. tube — a container

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