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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 120 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: wake · track · wax · file · face · bulb · hide · club

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. file — a line of people
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — for dancing
  5. file — a tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. track — a song
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. club — for golf
  16. file — a document
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. track — a path

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