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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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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: snap · firm · mark · fan · wax · rest · cue · tube

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — a grade
  4. firm — a company
  5. cue — a signal
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tube — a container
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — steady
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cue — a hint
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — a break
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. firm — decided

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