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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 · wake · squash · straw · bay · track · temple · content

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wake — a trail
  3. content — the amount
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. track — a song
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. squash — the sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. track — a path
  24. content — happy

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