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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. file — a document
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — letters
  18. lean — thin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — magic

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