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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 · mug · patient · wax · roll · kid

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — a trail
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mug — to rob
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mug — a cup

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