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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: wax · stand · spell · date · tube · staff · can · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. club — a group
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spell — a short time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — a container
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — to be able to
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. staff — employees
  23. spell — magic
  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