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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. object — a thing
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. land — a country
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. object — to protest
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. date — the fruit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. object — an aim
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wax — to grow
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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