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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · wax · degree · march · mug · lash · bay · last

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — a song
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. track — to keep track
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — a path
  11. last — to go on
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — a face
  15. march — music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. last — finally
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. last — final

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