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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. object — to protest
  15. field — a subject
  16. rest — a break
  17. track — a path
  18. present — a gift
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. hide — animal skin

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