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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. shower — rain
  20. spring — of water
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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