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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 116 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: wake · wax · pop · land · cabinet · pit · snap · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pop — music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — soda
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pop — to visit
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — a country
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mug — a face
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. pit — in a race

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