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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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468
Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. mug — a face
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mug — a cup
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — after costs
  19. wax — to grow
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to succeed

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