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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: mate · wave · tube · game · chip · spell · wax · clip

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mate — to breed
  5. tube — a container
  6. game — wild animals
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chip — to eat
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mate — a partner
  11. clip — to cut
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spell — letters
  14. game — a match
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. clip — a video
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mate — a friend

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