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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — thin
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — to push
  15. wax — to grow
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — of ice
  19. press — a publisher
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. prune — to trim

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