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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rock — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mug — a face
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wax — to grow

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