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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: mine · wave · scale · saw · game · wake · tube · can

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wake — a trail
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mine — for digging
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. tube — a container
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a match
  24. can — a tin

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