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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: mate · land · fine · straw · tube · racket · bore · wax

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. land — to come down
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — ground
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. land — a country
  11. fine — all right
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — high quality
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wax — to grow
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bore — to tire

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