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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 124 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the fish
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — humankind
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — low music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — the fish
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. race — a contest

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