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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. season — of the year
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wax — to grow
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fall — the season
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rule — a law
  16. squash — to crush
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rule — government
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. season — to add flavour
  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