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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. land — a country
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — to grow
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — music
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. swing — music
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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