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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. capital — money
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. kick — in football
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. mouse — the animal
  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