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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: leaves · wave · wax · pop · roll · court · dip · cap

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — of a king
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cap — a lid
  7. court — of law
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. roll — a list
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cap — a hat
  19. court — for sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pop — to visit

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