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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rest · wake · season · perch · bay · track · game

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rest — a break
  3. track — a path
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. game — a match
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wax — to grow
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. perch — for a bird

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