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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: mug · fall · cabinet · rest · stick · wax · bay · track

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — a song
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. rest — a break
  11. mug — to rob
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. mug — a face
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — what's left
  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