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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. track — to keep track
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. track — a path
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. track — a song

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