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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. tube — the underground
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. root — the cause
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. tube — a container
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cue — for pool
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wind — moving air
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cue — a signal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cue — a hint
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitcher — a jug

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