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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. mark — to pay attention
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. bound — obliged
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. drill — the tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. capital — a city
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bound — certain
  20. mark — a trace
  21. drill — army training
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. dip — a sauce

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