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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — the season
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. board — to get on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — boats
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bear — the animal

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