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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to click
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. object — an aim
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mate — a partner
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. object — a thing
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mate — a friend
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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