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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. ground — a position
  7. track — a song
  8. wax — to grow
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ground — crushed
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a path
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — a trace

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