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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · date · root · ball · wax · mug · wake · leaves

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. root — of a word
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — a face
  8. ball — a great time
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mug — a cup
  11. date — the fruit
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. root — the cause
  23. mug — to rob
  24. date — on the calendar

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