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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · hand · rest · object · cap · pit · bay · mate

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rest — a break
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hand — help
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mate — a partner
  19. object — an aim
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hand — in cards

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