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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: bore · firm · spring · lie · track · wax · ground · mug

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — a company
  3. spring — of water
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ground — a position
  8. mug — a face
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mug — a cup
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bore — to drill
  17. firm — steady
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. track — a path
  22. mug — to rob
  23. firm — decided
  24. ground — crushed

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