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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: clip · bay · craft · pass · wax · tear · track · field

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. field — for sport
  3. clip — to cut
  4. field — farmland
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pass — a permit
  14. track — a path
  15. clip — a video
  16. craft — a skill
  17. field — a subject
  18. clip — for paper
  19. craft — boats
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. track — a song
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. tear — from crying

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