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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: squash · patient · racket · clip · tube · jam · wax · fan

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — for paper
  17. tube — a container
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wax — to grow
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. squash — the sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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