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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pop — music
  8. mine — for digging
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — to fit
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. content — happy
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. suit — clothes
  22. scale — in music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. content — the amount

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