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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: track · sharp · wax · leaves · mouse · dip · stem · bore

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a path
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. track — a song
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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