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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — a group
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stock — goods
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bear — the animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bound — tied together
  15. file — a document
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. club — for golf
  18. band — a music group
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stock — shares
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — certain

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