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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: tube · wound · object · stand · chest · mine · pitch · wax

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. object — a thing
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — to bear
  17. object — an aim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — to protest
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mine — for digging
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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