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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rule — government
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. capital — money
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bass — low music
  13. capital — a city
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rule — a law
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mouse — the animal

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