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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — of a king
  5. present — a gift
  6. mate — a partner
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. season — in sport
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. court — of law
  14. present — the time now
  15. court — for sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — a skill
  19. season — of the year
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. present — there

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