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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. last — to go on
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bass — the fish
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. last — finally
  12. bass — low music
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. last — final
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bass — the instrument
  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