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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: last · stick · cabinet · tube · wake · land · spell · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. last — to go on
  9. land — to come down
  10. last — final
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. land — ground
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. land — a country
  21. last — finally
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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