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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. root — the cause
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. content — the amount
  6. vault — a safe
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ground — the earth
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. content — happy
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — of a plant
  22. shower — to wash
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ground — a position

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