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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: can · bay · wake · content · race · pop · nail · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — happy
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. content — the amount
  23. pop — soda
  24. can — a tin

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