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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a music group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wax — to grow
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. object — a thing
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. object — to protest
  24. band — a rubber band

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