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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 120 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: wake · craft · track · bark · charge · lean · wax · spring

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. track — a path
  3. wax — to grow
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. track — a song
  6. lean — to bend
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spring — the season
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — of water
  21. lean — thin
  22. craft — boats
  23. lean — to rest against
  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