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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rock — a stone
  4. court — of a king
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. court — of law
  7. wax — to grow
  8. staff — employees
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. court — for sport
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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