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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: wax · track · wake · cabinet · rock · squash · pass · chip

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — to keep track
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chip — to eat
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. track — a path

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