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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bound — certain
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bound — obliged
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cold — an illness
  12. track — a song
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — a path
  16. press — newspapers
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stock — goods
  19. press — to push
  20. stock — shares
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mark — a trace

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