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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cap — a hat
  6. snap — to click
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — letters
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. dip — a sauce

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