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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 · arm · fine · pitcher · board · wax · last · lie

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — a committee
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — high quality
  11. track — a song
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. track — a path
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — to get on
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. last — final
  23. fine — all right
  24. track — to keep track

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