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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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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. track — a path
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. key — in music
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — for a lock
  19. staff — employees
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spring — the season
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a song
  24. wax — to grow

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