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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 help me carry this box?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. track — a path
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. squash — to crush
  11. object — to protest
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a great time
  14. can — a tin
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. object — an aim
  18. track — a song
  19. object — a thing
  20. wound — an injury
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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