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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. land — ground
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. clip — a video
  8. swing — in golf
  9. last — finally
  10. clip — for paper
  11. swing — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — to cut
  15. last — final
  16. land — a country
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — to come down
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bulb — for light

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