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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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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: wound · mark · stand · foot · wax · hand · pass · track

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hand — help
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. track — a path

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