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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 124 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — a price
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — for pool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — a company
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — certain
  12. drill — army training
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wax — to grow
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. firm — decided
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. charge — in control
  21. bound — obliged
  22. drill — a practice
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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