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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · can · hide · wax · fall · wound · bay · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fall — to drop
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. hand — help
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — the season
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wax — to grow
  24. can — a tin

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