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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. file — a line of people
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rock — music
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. file — a document
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rush — hurry
  23. file — a tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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