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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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. branch — a division
  4. file — a tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. file — a document
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. firm — a company
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. pit — a hole
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. can — to be able to
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wax — to grow
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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