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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: mug · last · board · kick · dip · wake · wax · stand

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. board — to get on
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. last — finally
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stand — to bear
  22. board — a committee
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — on your feet

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