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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · object · wax · coach · mug · pound · cold · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cold — not warm
  10. object — an aim
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — a thing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rock — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. mug — a face
  24. pound — for dogs

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