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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rock — music
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — a hint
  16. land — a country
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool

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