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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
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: wave · net · tube · spring · pop · chip · staff · wax

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. pop — soda
  7. tube — a container
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. net — for catching
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. net — in sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. staff — a stick
  21. net — after costs
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — with your hand

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