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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. season — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wax — to grow

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