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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pop — music
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. row — to paddle
  10. track — a path
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. date — the fruit
  13. pop — soda
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. roll — a list
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pop — to visit

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