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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: content · stand · tube · mate · cue · rest · bowl · wax

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mate — to breed
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wax — to grow
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. tube — a container
  24. rest — a break

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