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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 124 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — the underground
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — for a computer

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