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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. race — a contest
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pound — a weight
  12. prune — to trim
  13. dip — to sink
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wax — to grow
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wax — in the ear

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