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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. tube — a container
  11. row — a line
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. object — an aim
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mark — a grade
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — of the year
  20. object — a thing
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pop — music
  24. season — in sport

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