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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: mine · wax · chip · vault · spring · foot · tube · bass

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. spring — a coil
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bass — low music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. foot — a measure
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spring — the season
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. tube — a container
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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