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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. kid — child
  4. rock — a stone
  5. swing — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. kid — to tease
  12. pass — a permit
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rock — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bay — a horse colour

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