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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: mate · spring · can · deal · jam · wake · nail · wax

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spring — the season
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spring — a coil
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spring — of water
  24. mate — a friend

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