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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 120 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. track — a song
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — a division
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. fall — the season
  20. bound — certain
  21. bass — low music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. branch — of a bank

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