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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — the fish
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spell — letters
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. capital — money
  13. rule — government
  14. bass — low music
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rule — a law
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spell — magic

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