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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. kick — in football
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. scale — in music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fork — in a road
  24. scale — size or range

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