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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wax — to grow
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. key — in music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pop — soda
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — to visit

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