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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · mouse · snap · mine · sharp · tube · game · vault

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — a safe
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. game — a match
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. snap — to click
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mine — for digging
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mine — belonging to me

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