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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wax — to grow
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. charge — electricity
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — a price
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — in control
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rush — to hurry

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