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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: spring · bore · suit · leaves · mug · wake · wax · roll

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. roll — a list
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mug — to rob
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wax — to grow
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spring — of water
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wake — before a funeral

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