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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. march — the month
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. spring — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wake — a trail
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — music
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bay — a horse colour

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