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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: wake · wax · track · pound · hide · snap · deal · hand

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — in cards
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to click
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. deal — to handle
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — an agreement

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