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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: snap · pound · mine · plane · tube · wax · wave · jam

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. plane — a tool
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. snap — to click
  24. mine — an explosive

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