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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. content — the amount
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — to grow
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — to bear
  19. content — happy
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — videos and posts

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