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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wax — for sculpting

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