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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: bay · perch · wax · track · wave · row · present · pitcher

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — a path
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. present — there
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. row — a line
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — the time now
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wax — for sculpting

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