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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pass · ball · mark · spell · wake · leaves · season

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — letters
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. spell — a short time
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wax — to grow

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