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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. track — a song
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. prune — to trim
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. track — to keep track
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pound — to hit hard

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