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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tube — a container
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. present — there
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. present — the time now
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. vault — a safe

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