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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. row — a line
  3. march — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — the month
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stock — shares
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stock — goods
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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