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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 · racket · bay · firm · clip · fall · lean · wind

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fall — the season
  7. clip — for paper
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. firm — steady
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — a company
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — decided

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