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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: wound · stand · wax · bank · dip · court · wake · saw

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — to bear
  10. court — for sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. dip — to sink
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of law

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