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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: tear · wake · track · press · wax · bear · pit · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — a path
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. track — a song
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. press — to push
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. press — newspapers
  24. track — to keep track

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