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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — steady
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — to keep track
  5. foot — a measure
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. firm — decided
  12. wind — moving air
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. firm — a company
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. track — a path

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