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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 · can · mug · tube · lie · mark · wake · march

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wake — a trail
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — a container
  17. march — the month
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wax — to grow
  22. can — to be able to
  23. march — music
  24. mug — a face

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