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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. race — a contest
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — low music
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wax — to grow
  15. race — humankind
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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