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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. fork — in a road
  5. march — the month
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — for light

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