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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 120 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: chest · object · bay · ruler · wave · craft · wax · rush

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. object — an aim
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. object — a thing
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — boats
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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