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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. wind — moving air
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. march — the month
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. present — there
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. face — to confront
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — music
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. safe — a strongbox

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