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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. squash — the sport
  8. club — a group
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. board — a committee
  11. squash — to crush
  12. club — for golf
  13. capital — a city
  14. wax — to grow
  15. saw — the tool
  16. club — for dancing
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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