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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — to grow
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — to bear
  24. tear — to rip

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