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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cell — a phone
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. object — a thing
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rock — a stone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bulb — for light

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