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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. can — a tin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. face — to confront
  16. press — newspapers
  17. can — to be able to
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — to push
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. leaves — of a tree

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