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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: tube · fine · mug · hand · wax · temple · game · dip

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mug — a face
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mug — to rob
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. hand — in cards
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fine — all right
  19. mug — a cup
  20. hand — help
  21. game — a match
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wax — to grow
  24. tube — a container

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