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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 120 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
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: snap · cue · stand · wake · wax · spring · key · leaves

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wake — a trail
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — of water
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — the season
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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