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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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. wax — to grow
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. current — electric
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. track — to keep track
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. racket — for tennis

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