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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.

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 · spell · cue · wax · hand · pitcher · fall · dip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — a short time
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — magic
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — letters
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. tube — a container
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — for sculpting

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