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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. row — a line
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rule — government
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pit — in a race
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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