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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: cue · wax · tube · board · stem · swing · band · face

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cue — for pool
  3. tube — a container
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tube — the underground
  9. face — to point toward
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cue — a hint
  12. board — a committee
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — in golf
  19. face — to confront
  20. board — to get on
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cue — a signal
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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