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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: band · wax · rock · present · dip · bay · kid · bear

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. present — a gift
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kid — to tease
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. present — the time now
  13. kid — child
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. rock — music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. band — a rubber band

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