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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — a company
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. firm — steady
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. firm — decided
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. lean — to rest against

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