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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: deal · bulb · pass · tear · wax · bound · track · ball

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — certain
  9. track — a path
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — obliged
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — of a plant

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