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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. spell — magic
  3. mate — to breed
  4. track — a path
  5. cap — of ice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — a lid
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mate — a friend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cap — a hat
  14. track — a song
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — to push
  18. spell — a short time
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mate — a partner
  24. press — newspapers

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