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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 124 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. band — a ring
  18. bank — of a river
  19. band — a music group
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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