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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: wake · rest · dip · band · firm · wound · mark · wax

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rest — a break
  4. band — a ring
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rest — what's left
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. firm — steady
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — a company
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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