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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. track — a song
  6. pit — in a race
  7. track — to keep track
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tube — a container
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pit — a hole
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. track — a path
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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