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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 124 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 · cue · bore · bay · pit · kick · leaves · cold

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cue — a signal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cold — not warm
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. cold — an illness

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