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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. root — the cause
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. land — a country
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. land — ground
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. track — a path
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. land — to come down
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. track — a song
  24. bat — the animal

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