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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — a path
  4. cap — of ice
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cap — a hat
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — to keep track
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fork — to eat 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