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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: track · net · wax · pop · bear · charge · shower · snap

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. track — to keep track
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. net — for catching
  7. track — a song
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — in sport
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pop — music
  13. net — after costs
  14. shower — rain
  15. pop — to visit
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a path
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bear — the animal

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