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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
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: tube · face · prune · rash · bank · pound · saw · wax

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rash — a series
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bank — for money
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rash — hasty
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. bank — of a river
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wax — to grow
  24. prune — to trim

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