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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: wound · bay · spring · wax · wake · bank · mug · bass

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spring — of water
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bass — low music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — the season
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bank — for money

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