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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fork — in a road
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — the animal

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