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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cue — a hint
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mug — to rob
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bore — to drill
  24. dip — to sink

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