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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: board · bore · wave · wax · safe · wake

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. board — to get on
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. board — a committee
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail

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