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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: pop · spring · fork · hide · race · bear · mark · wax

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. race — the arms race
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — in a road
  8. race — humankind
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spring — the season
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pop — to visit
  17. race — a contest
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pop — music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — soda
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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