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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. track — to keep track
  3. roll — a list
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pitch — completely
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. track — a path
  8. roll — a cake
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a song
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stem — to come from
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. row — a line

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