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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chest — a box
  7. key — in music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a car

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