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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — a path
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — thin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lean — to bend

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