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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: mug · wax · game · firm · current · tube · hand · coach

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — wild animals
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. tube — a container
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. firm — steady
  11. current — electric
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — a face
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. firm — decided
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. game — a match
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mug — to rob
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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