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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: stand · snap · mark · wake · key · shower · rash · wax

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. snap — to click
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rash — a series
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stand — to bear
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. key — in music
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. key — for a lock

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