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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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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: pop · bound · leaves · row · wax · wave · fall · track

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pop — soda
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pop — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fall — the season
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. row — to paddle
  19. track — a path
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fall — to drop

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