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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — to handle
  7. root — of a plant
  8. march — the month
  9. root — the cause
  10. wake — a trail
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. root — of a word
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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