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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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Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wax — in the ear

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