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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — a stone
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kid — child
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rock — music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wax — to grow

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