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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: arm · bank · wax · wake · spring · tube · kick · suit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spring — of water
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. suit — clothes
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tube — a container
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — in football
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spring — a coil
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — the season

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