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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. track — a path
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. track — a song

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