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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: hide · tube · object · ground · rule · wax · bear · wound

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wax — to grow
  8. object — a thing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ground — a position
  14. tube — a container
  15. rule — a law
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — to protest
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rule — government
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ground — crushed

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