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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: coach · bay · rock · wax · clip · ball · arm · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. clip — a video
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. track — a song
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ball — a great time
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a dance
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rock — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. arm — part of the body

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