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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cell — in biology
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. object — a thing
  14. root — of a word
  15. file — a document
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. root — the cause
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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