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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: band · toast · wound · track · tube · rush · wax · arm

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a ring
  6. tube — a container
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. toast — bread
  14. rush — hurry
  15. band — a music group
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. wax — in the ear

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