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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.

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: leaves · wake · roll · pitch · track · wax · spring · craft

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. track — a path
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — to keep track
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. roll — a cake
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wax — to grow
  19. track — a song
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spring — of water
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — the season
  24. roll — a list

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