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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. track — a path
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. court — of law
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fall — the season
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — music
  14. track — a song
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — to keep track
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. court — of a king

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