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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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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: rock · present · wax · spring · toast · firm · clip · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. clip — a video
  7. spring — of water
  8. clip — to cut
  9. firm — decided
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. clip — for paper
  13. spring — the season
  14. rock — a stone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spring — a coil
  17. toast — bread
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — there
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rock — to move gently

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