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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — a path
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bound — tied together
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — obliged
  15. charge — electricity
  16. snap — to click
  17. spell — letters
  18. charge — in control
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — magic
  21. track — a song
  22. rock — music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rock — to move gently

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