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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 120 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: mouse · dip · bound · object · cue · wake · wax · band

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. band — a music group
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. dip — to sink
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bound — obliged
  18. object — to protest
  19. cue — for pool
  20. object — a thing
  21. band — a ring
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a rubber band

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