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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hand — help
  4. shower — rain
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — to grow
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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