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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. court — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. court — of law
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — to paddle
  17. court — of a king
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. row — a line
  24. coach — a trainer

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