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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cap — of ice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fall — the season
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — help
  19. rock — music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cap — a hat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — a stone
  24. ruler — a monarch

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