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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. staff — employees
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spell — magic
  13. staff — a stick
  14. band — a music group
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — employees
  24. wax — to grow

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