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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 120 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: tear · cue · mug · tube · rush · foot · craft · wax

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mug — a cup
  3. foot — a measure
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — for pool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mug — a face
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mug — to rob

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