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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
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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: mate · chair · rock · track · spell · tube · sharp · wax

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chair — a leader
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. sharp — clever
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — a friend
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spell — magic
  23. track — a song
  24. rock — music

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