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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — to crush
  7. suit — clothes
  8. wax — to grow
  9. squash — the sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fine — all right
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fine — high quality
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. scale — in music

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