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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 120 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: mug · wax · track · pass · hide · leaves · calf · last

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — a path
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. track — a song
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — to go on
  18. track — to keep track
  19. last — finally
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — final
  22. mug — a cup
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mug — a face

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