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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: tube · fan · wax · board · kid · deal · hand · mug

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — child
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. tube — a container
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. board — a committee
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kid — to tease
  24. hand — in cards

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