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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: wake · lie · dip · pit · prune · wax · mark · band

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a music group
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — a trail
  11. prune — to trim
  12. band — a ring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pit — in a race

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