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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 116 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: wax · racket · leaves · pound · cabinet · track · press · wound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. track — a song
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a path
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. press — to push
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. press — a publisher
  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