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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — a hint
  4. last — to go on
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. last — final
  8. club — a group
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. squash — to crush
  15. last — finally
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. club — for golf
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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