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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: swing · wax · bore · toast · tube · track · suit · present

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. toast — bread
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — there
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. present — the time now
  14. track — a path
  15. swing — music
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. swing — in golf
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. track — a song
  21. swing — to play on
  22. present — a gift
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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