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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — to be able to
  5. snap — to click
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. tube — a container
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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