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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 120 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: plane · tube · wax · rock · foot · arm · swing · hide

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — the underground
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. swing — music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. tube — a container
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. swing — to play on
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. swing — in golf
  24. arm — part of the body

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