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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — to grow
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mug — a face
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mug — a cup
  14. capital — a city
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a signal
  23. capital — money
  24. wind — moving air

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