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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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. deal — a big deal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. object — to protest
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. deal — to handle
  14. clip — for paper
  15. lean — thin
  16. object — a thing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. clip — a video
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — to cut
  24. object — an aim

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