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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pop — soda
  9. wax — to grow
  10. firm — decided
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — a company
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. track — a path
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. face — part of the head
  24. racket — a loud noise

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