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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: bowl · hide · wax · pound · fall · jam · track · bear

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. pound — a weight
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. track — a song
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fall — to drop
  24. track — a path

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