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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. mark — a trace
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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