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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — to come down
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. land — a country
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bore — to tire
  24. can — to be able to

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