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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · sharp · ruler · kick · mine · track · chair · tube

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — in football
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. track — a path
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chair — a leader
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a song
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — clever

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