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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spell — magic
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rule — a law
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spell — letters
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rule — government

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