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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pop — music
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pop — soda
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. firm — steady
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. firm — a company

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