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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: dip · game · track · mine · fine · wax · suit · trunk

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — a match
  6. fine — all right
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. track — a song
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. fine — high quality

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