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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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. tube — the underground
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — the season
  7. lean — to bend
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lean — thin
  14. court — of a king
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — for sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tube — a container
  22. snap — to click
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — for light

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