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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. object — an aim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bass — low music
  8. root — the cause
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. object — to protest
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — the fish
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. object — a thing
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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