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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lean — thin
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. sharp — clever
  23. tube — a container
  24. saw — the tool

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