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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. board — a committee
  4. wax — to grow
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — an aim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mug — a cup
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mug — a face
  14. object — to protest
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cold — an illness
  18. object — a thing
  19. board — to get on
  20. snap — to click
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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