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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: mark · wax · wave · mine · wake · net · track · calf

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — a grade
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. track — a song
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — before a funeral

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