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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 · dip · wake · club · sharp · bear · stand · lie

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — a group
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. club — for golf
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. dip — to sink
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — to bear

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