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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: cue · club · tube · wound · mine · patient · wax · fall

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for dancing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a hint
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mine — for digging
  11. club — a group
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — for pool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — a container
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. club — for golf
  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