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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bark — to shout
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pitch — completely
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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