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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cap — a hat
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spell — magic
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fall — to drop
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — the season
  24. can — a tin

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