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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.

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: field · wax · cabinet · present · fan · bay · bark · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — to grow
  9. field — farmland
  10. track — a song
  11. present — there
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. present — the time now
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. present — a gift
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cabinet — ministers

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