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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. content — the amount
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. swing — music
  15. board — a committee
  16. content — happy
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. spell — a short time
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. net — in sport
  24. swing — to play on

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