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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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. leaves — of a tree
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — a path
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. swing — in golf
  11. clip — a video
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. clip — for paper
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. swing — music
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. wax — to grow
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wax — for sculpting

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