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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 · pop · craft · cue · wake · season · bank · hand

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. hand — help
  3. season — of the year
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bank — of a river
  11. season — in sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pop — music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. pop — soda
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cue — a hint

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