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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mate — a friend
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rash — a series
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. band — a music group
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. band — a ring
  24. safe — out of danger

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