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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. field — for sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cell — in biology
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — low music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wax — in the ear

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