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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — a container
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wax — to grow

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