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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: wave · track · wax · pit · mark · hand · bay · hide

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. track — a song
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hand — help
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hand — in cards
  10. track — a path
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wave — with your hand

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