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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. mate — a friend
  9. track — a song
  10. wax — to grow
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — a path
  18. straw — dry grass

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