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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 120 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: pitcher · rock · lie · deal · wax · land · mate · track

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. track — a song
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. land — ground
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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