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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rash — hasty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kid — to tease
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rock — music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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