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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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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: tear · craft · rest · track · root · wake · trunk · wax

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. track — a path
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — to keep track
  14. craft — boats
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. tear — from crying
  24. track — a song

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