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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: plane · last · ball · hide · cue · tube · wax · squash

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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 — in a tire
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. squash — the sport
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. tube — the underground
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. wax — to grow
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — a signal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — to go on
  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