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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. race — humankind
  3. wax — to grow
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. club — a group
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wound — an injury
  22. club — for golf
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a horse colour

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