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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: cell · bowl · wake · wax · mug · track · current · leaves

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. current — electric
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. track — a path
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. wax — to grow
  14. track — a song
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wax — for sculpting

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