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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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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: bay · ruler · bass · mark · bat · nail · kid · wax

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bass — low music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kid — child
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bass — the instrument

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