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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — to grow
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — low music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ground — a position
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. squash — the sport
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bass — the fish

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