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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fall — the season
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fall — to drop
  9. squash — to crush
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. band — a ring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cue — for pool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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