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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.

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: lie · bay · wax · cabinet · track · bulb · tear · plane

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tear — to rip
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. track — a song
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. track — a path
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — a horse colour

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