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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fall — the season
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — for sport
  16. fine — high quality
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — all right

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