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

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pop — music
  10. tube — a container
  11. content — happy
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — music

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