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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: wake · bowl · last · bulb · wax · content · nail · bore

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. last — finally
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bore — to tire
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. last — to go on
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wax — in the ear

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