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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bound — tied together
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. capital — money
  13. net — in sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. patient — a sick person

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