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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.

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: foot · pass · wax · snap · tube · rush · fan · tear

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. snap — to click
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tube — a container
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pass — a permit
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — a supporter

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