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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lean — thin
  3. game — a match
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mug — a face
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mug — to rob

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