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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: content · wake · sharp · wax · mate · coach · ruler · roll

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. roll — a cake
  8. content — the amount
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — to grow
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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