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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wake — a trail
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — a path
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spring — of water
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — all right
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. patient — a sick person

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