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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: wake · bowl · tube · wax · pound · staff · fine · last

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. last — finally
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fine — all right
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. last — final
  19. staff — employees
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tube — a container
  23. last — to go on
  24. pound — a weight

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