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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: tube · can · wax · lean · mug · rock · cold · bank

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mug — a face
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cold — not warm
  8. mug — a cup
  9. can — a tin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. tube — a container
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lean — thin

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