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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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Word bank
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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: object · bay · lie · band · rule · fan · present · wax

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a ring
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. band — a music group
  12. object — an aim
  13. present — the time now
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. present — there
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rule — government
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rule — a law
  24. fan — a supporter

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