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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: wax · lean · mark · pop · chest · toast · track · pitcher

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — a grade
  4. track — a path
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pop — music
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — bread
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lean — thin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mark — a trace
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — to pay attention

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