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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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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: track · season · nail · perch · bay · snap · wax · squash

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. squash — the sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. snap — to click
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — of the year
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. season — in sport
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. track — a path
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — to grow
  24. track — a song

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