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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — on your feet
  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