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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.

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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: ground · fine · plane · tube · cabinet · kick · fan · wax

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ground — a position
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wax — to grow
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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