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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: wound · wax · shower · mark · track · bear · rush · key

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. track — a path
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — a song
  15. wound — an injury
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — to grow
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wax — for sculpting

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