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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: cap · land · mug · wake · wave · staff · wax · season

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wake — a trail
  6. season — in sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. season — of the year
  9. cap — a hat
  10. land — a country
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. land — ground
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. land — to come down
  23. staff — employees
  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