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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: can · track · wax · lean · spring · calf · pitch · land

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. track — a song
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. land — to come down
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. can — to be able to

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