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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — an aim
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — to grow
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rest — what's left
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — a break
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. object — to protest

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