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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: mug · mark · wax · leaves · wound · wake · degree · rash

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — a series
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wound — an injury

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