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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. squash — to crush
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bound — obliged
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wax — to grow
  20. scale — in music
  21. bound — certain
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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