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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 124 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fall — the season
  3. firm — steady
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. wax — to grow
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — to drop
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — boats
  16. firm — decided
  17. court — for sport
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. court — of a king
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. court — of law
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. firm — a company

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