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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rule — a law
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — to crush
  7. season — in sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rule — government
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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