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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — a position
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — a permit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. branch — a division
  23. wax — to grow
  24. tube — a container

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