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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — goods
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — shares
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mine — an explosive

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