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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wind — moving air
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rock — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wind — moving air
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. root — the cause
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — of a bank

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