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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 124 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. date — the fruit
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — a container
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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