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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: suit · mate · track · race · toast · wax · hand · straw

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — bread
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. race — a contest
  6. hand — help
  7. race — humankind
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mate — a partner
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wax — to grow
  17. suit — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hand — in cards
  23. race — the arms race
  24. straw — dry grass

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