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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.

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: tube · sharp · fall · wax · root · rule · rash · wound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. tube — the underground
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — the season
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rule — government
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. rule — a law
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — of a word
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. sharp — with an edge

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