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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: roll · lie · wax · present · net · cabinet · mine · track

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. present — there
  7. lie — to recline
  8. track — a song
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — the time now
  13. track — a path
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — to grow
  20. roll — a list
  21. present — a gift
  22. net — in sport
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wax — for sculpting

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