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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. net — after costs
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pass — a permit

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