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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. object — a thing
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pass — a permit
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — to protest
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. last — final
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. last — to go on
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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