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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chest — of your body
  10. staff — employees
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. court — of a king
  18. staff — employees
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chest — a box

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