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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: pass · perch · mark · band · mate · wax · mug · root

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. band — a ring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mate — a partner
  13. root — of a word
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — a trace
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mug — a face
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mark — a grade

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