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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wake — a trail
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. face — to point toward
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — to grow
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. face — to confront
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. present — a gift
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. present — there
  24. wax — for sculpting

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