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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
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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: tube · wax · pound · toast · mouse · chair · mate · hand

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. toast — bread
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tube — a container
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hand — help

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