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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bark — to shout
  15. date — the fruit
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — to bear
  21. track — a path
  22. wax — to grow
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — clothes

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