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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: spell · roll · bore · staff · wax · rest · track · band

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spell — a short time
  6. roll — a cake
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a path
  11. rest — what's left
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rest — a break
  19. spell — letters
  20. bore — to tire
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — a stick
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. band — a rubber band

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