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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. file — a tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — of water
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — to bear
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — on your feet
  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