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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: mug · track · fine · land · lean · root · wax · present

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. root — of a word
  3. track — to keep track
  4. present — the time now
  5. land — ground
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to bend
  8. present — there
  9. land — a country
  10. root — the cause
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. track — a path
  16. land — to come down
  17. lean — thin
  18. mug — a cup
  19. present — a gift
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. track — a song
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — high quality

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