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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. pass — a permit
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. firm — decided
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — army training
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. racket — for tennis

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