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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bound — tied together
  5. fall — the season
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bound — certain
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fall — to drop
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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