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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — of water
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — shares
  7. cue — a signal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hand — help
  15. stock — goods
  16. dip — to sink
  17. current — electric
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. safe — a strongbox

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