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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: toast · vault · wax · mouse · cell · leaves · wake · track

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — a song
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. toast — bread
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. vault — a safe
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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