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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. suit — to fit
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. race — a contest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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