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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.

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: wax · tube · leaves · staff · rule · fan · fork · band

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rule — a law
  3. wax — to grow
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. band — a music group
  8. staff — employees
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. band — a ring
  13. rule — government
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tube — a container
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fork — in a road
  23. staff — employees
  24. fan — a supporter

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