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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: lash · track · firm · roll · jam · degree · wax · hide

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — a song
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. firm — a company
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. degree — from a university
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wax — to grow
  21. roll — a cake
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. roll — a list
  24. hide — animal skin

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