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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · kick · pop · ball · clip · tube · mark · ruler

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — in football
  6. pop — soda
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. clip — a video
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pop — to visit
  17. ball — a great time
  18. clip — to cut
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — a container
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tube — in a tire

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