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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — in cards
  5. mate — a friend
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mate — to breed
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — help
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. file — a document
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. file — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. file — a line of people

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