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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: sharp · jam · present · bay · wax · rash · row · object

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rash — hasty
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. present — there
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. object — an aim
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. present — the time now
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. object — a thing
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — to grow
  21. object — to protest
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. present — a gift
  24. rash — a series

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