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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a path
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. press — a publisher
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — to eat
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pop — music
  22. mug — a face
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. press — to push

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