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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
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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: bat · lie · mark · pitch · track · wax · suit · wind

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — a grade
  8. track — a path
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. suit — clothes
  16. track — a song
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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