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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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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: bulb · racket · stand · last · fine · tube · bore · wax

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. last — finally
  12. fine — all right
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. last — final
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tube — the underground
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. last — to go on

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