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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — a video
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. suit — in cards
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. perch — the fish
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — the underground
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lean — thin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. track — to keep track
  23. clip — for paper
  24. track — a song

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