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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. march — the month
  3. track — a path
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — the month
  8. wax — to grow
  9. field — farmland
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. track — a song
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. vault — a safe
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. field — a subject
  24. march — music

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