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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — in a road
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. net — for catching
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. net — after costs
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wax — for sculpting

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