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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pass — a permit
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. last — final
  5. last — to go on
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. prune — to trim
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. deal — to handle
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — finally

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