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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: lean · game · bay · pass · wax · rush · trunk · mark

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. game — a match
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — to grow
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. wax — in the ear
  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