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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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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: wake · snap · staff · swing · kick · wax · tube · rest

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. swing — in golf
  5. staff — a stick
  6. tube — a container
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. tube — the underground
  22. snap — to click
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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