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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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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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. present — a gift
  3. march — the month
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mate — to breed
  8. present — there
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mate — a friend
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — to grow
  14. march — music
  15. present — the time now
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — on your feet

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