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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. sharp — clever
  4. snap — to click
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fall — the season
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — a safe
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — in the ear

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