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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. land — ground
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — newspapers
  9. track — to keep track
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — a country
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. track — a path
  20. suit — to fit
  21. press — to push
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a song

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