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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rest — a break
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — in control
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bank — of a river
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. track — a path
  11. file — a document
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — a price
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a line of people
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wax — for sculpting

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