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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.

Make a worksheet

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: band · wax · rash · object · can · foot · bear · bay

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rash — hasty
  3. object — an aim
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. object — to protest
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — a thing
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. band — a ring

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