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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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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 · nail · chair · racket · snap · bay · wax · perch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. chair — a leader
  18. tube — a container
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. tube — the underground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — to grow

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