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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. firm — steady
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. content — the amount
  8. field — a subject
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — decided
  11. field — for sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. track — a song
  15. content — happy
  16. wax — to grow
  17. firm — a company
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. field — farmland
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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