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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fall — to drop
  5. track — a song
  6. fall — the season
  7. fork — in a road
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. can — a tin
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wax — in the ear

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