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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · can · wake · cell · track · wax · toast · pop

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. toast — bread
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. cell — a phone
  15. track — a path
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fork — in a road
  20. can — a tin
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — to grow

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