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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: present · pitcher · clip · lie · wave · tube · wax · rush

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — a container
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — a gift
  7. clip — a video
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — to recline
  11. present — the time now
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. clip — to cut
  17. present — there
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rush — a thrill
  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