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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · track · ruler · tube · racket · spring · suit · wax

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — a trail
  4. track — a song
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spring — of water
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spring — the season
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. suit — clothes

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