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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tube — a container
  5. mate — to breed
  6. object — a thing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. field — a subject
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. object — an aim
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — to handle
  15. field — for sport
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. object — to protest
  21. rest — a break
  22. field — farmland
  23. wax — in the ear
  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