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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: mate · track · wound · suit · wax · shower · cap · pound

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mate — a friend
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. track — a path
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pound — a weight
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cap — of ice
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. track — a song
  19. suit — to fit
  20. shower — rain
  21. cap — a lid
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cap — a hat
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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