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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: wax · lean · degree · mug · band · track · roll · content

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. track — a path
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. roll — a cake
  7. content — the amount
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lean — thin
  11. mug — a face
  12. roll — a list
  13. lean — to bend
  14. track — to keep track
  15. content — happy
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a ring
  18. mug — to rob
  19. track — a song
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wax — to grow

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