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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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 — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. drill — army training
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rule — a law
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. drill — a practice
  18. swing — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — to recline
  22. swing — to play on
  23. perch — the fish
  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