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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.

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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. object — to protest
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. present — there
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — a thing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. present — the time now
  19. object — an aim
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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