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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — to grow
  5. tear — to rip
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chest — a box
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — a group
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — for golf
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — a committee
  20. spell — a short time
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. spell — letters

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