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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.

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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: face · scale · tube · jam · stock · wax · stick · wake

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. face — part of the head
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. tube — a container
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stock — goods
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — in music
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. scale — size or range

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