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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — what's left
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rest — a break
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. current — of water
  21. row — a line
  22. current — electric
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lie — an untruth

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