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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 120 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
468
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: pound · wax · tube · arm · stand · band · fan · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. band — a music group
  4. pop — music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. wax — to grow
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. band — a ring
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pop — to visit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tube — the underground

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