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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: field · spell · roll · arm · jam · wake · bear · wax

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. roll — a list
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. field — for sport
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — magic
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. field — a subject
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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