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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · pitcher · fall · chest · ball · bark · bay · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. key — in music
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — the season
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — for sculpting

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