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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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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: wax · present · lash · snap · racket · band · content · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. snap — to click
  4. band — a ring
  5. content — the amount
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. present — there
  8. content — happy
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. band — a music group
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. racket — for tennis

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