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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: root · wax · snap · can · band · face · saw · tube

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. tube — the underground
  3. can — to be able to
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. snap — to click
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — the cause
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — a tin
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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