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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 120 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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. land — ground
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. land — to come down
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rest — a break
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — all right
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — a country

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