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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rest — a break
  6. wax — to grow
  7. season — of the year
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. season — in sport
  17. stand — to bear
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bear — to put up with

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