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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — to grow
  4. content — the amount
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — happy
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ground — a position
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — for pool

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