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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: firm · rash · wax · saw · bear · pop · track · hand

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. firm — a company
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. firm — steady
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hand — help
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — music
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. firm — decided

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