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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — to tire
  5. field — farmland
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. field — a subject
  10. suit — in cards
  11. field — for sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — hasty
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wax — in the ear

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