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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: bay · prune · suit · wax · rash · field · bear · can

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. field — farmland
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wax — to grow
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — hasty
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rash — a series
  23. suit — clothes
  24. can — a tin

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