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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bore — to drill

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