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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — a division
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pit — in a race
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — a tool

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