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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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. bulb — of a plant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tube — a container
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. capital — a city
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. capital — a big letter

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