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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 116 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: snap · wax · tube · coach · ball · fan · bore · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to click
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wax — to grow
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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