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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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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: hide · wax · bay · mark · pass · track · snap · root

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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 — a song
  2. mark — a grade
  3. root — of a word
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pass — a permit
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. root — the cause
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. snap — to click
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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