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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ground — a position
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lean — thin

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