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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: safe · foot · wax · land · hide · swing · tear · track

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — to keep track
  6. land — ground
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. track — a song
  9. swing — music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. track — a path
  14. tear — to rip
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tear — from crying
  20. foot — a measure
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

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