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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: track · snap · pass · wax · band · season · straw · field

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. field — a subject
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. season — in sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. field — farmland
  11. snap — to click
  12. season — of the year
  13. track — a path
  14. field — for sport
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. track — a song
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. band — a music group
  22. wax — to grow
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wax — in the ear

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