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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: mark · nail · present · bowl · wax · wake · rock · swing

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. present — a gift
  9. wake — a trail
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. swing — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. swing — to play on
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. present — there
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — a stone

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