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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — the month
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. march — music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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