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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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. row — to paddle
  4. wake — a trail
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. current — electric
  15. row — a line
  16. wind — moving air
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. hand — in cards
  24. current — of water

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