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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wax — to grow
  4. shower — to wash
  5. swing — music
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. land — to come down
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. swing — in golf
  22. land — ground
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. land — a country

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