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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: mark · stick · bay · squash · lie · spring · wax · pitch

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitch — completely
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. spring — of water
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — the season

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