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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 120 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. track — a path
  3. rock — music
  4. track — to keep track
  5. file — a document
  6. track — a song
  7. file — a tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — a stone
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — hurry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to click

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