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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — for catching
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. march — music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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