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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — low music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — in music
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wax — for sculpting

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