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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: bay · date · swing · wax · mate · rest · capital · foot

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. capital — a city
  7. foot — a measure
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. swing — music
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. date — the fruit

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