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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. key — for a lock
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bass — the fish
  9. last — finally
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. last — to go on
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bass — low music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — in a race
  18. last — final
  19. key — in music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the instrument

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