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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.

Make a worksheet

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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. capital — a city
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. capital — money
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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