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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 · chest · band · bear · suit · leaves · bay · wax

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. band — a ring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — a box
  15. band — a music group
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bear — the animal
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — music
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rock — a stone
  24. leaves — lets stay

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