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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
468
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: wax · band · last · lean · object · mate · perch · wake

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lean — thin
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. last — to go on
  24. object — to protest

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