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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fine — all right
  5. season — of the year
  6. spring — of water
  7. game — wild animals
  8. season — in sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. kick — in football
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. game — a match
  14. spring — the season
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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