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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. game — wild animals
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. file — a tool
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. file — a line of people
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mark — a grade
  20. game — a match
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mug — a face
  23. file — a document
  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