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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: firm · wax · mouse · bay · pitch · cold · fall · saw

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — decided
  3. fall — the season
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cold — an illness
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. firm — a company
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. firm — steady
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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