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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: field · rash · track · pass · bay · kick · wax · saw

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — a song
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rash — a series
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. track — a path
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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