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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · net · track · bear · spring · mark · pitcher · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. track — a path
  4. net — after costs
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spring — the season
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — a trace
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — for catching
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. track — a song
  24. pitcher — a jug

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