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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.

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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: tube · season · mouse · chip · pop · bore · snap · wax

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. season — in sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. wax — to grow

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