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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. plane — a tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a match
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. plane — an aircraft

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