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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
468
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: rest · wax · bound · wave · track · key · mine · racket

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a path
  9. bound — certain
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — tied together
  12. track — a song
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rest — a break
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — in music
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wax — to grow
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wax — in the ear

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