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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wax — to grow
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. land — to come down
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bay — a horse colour

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