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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — low music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — a container
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. face — to point toward
  24. prune — the fruit

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