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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. tube — a container
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — to tire
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. firm — a company
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. season — of the year
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. firm — decided
  21. firm — steady
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tube — in a tire

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