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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rule — a law
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rule — government
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — happy
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wax — to grow
  20. content — the amount
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. drill — army training
  24. wax — for sculpting

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