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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. clip — a video
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. foot — a measure
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — a horse colour

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