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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. track — a path
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mug — a face
  15. cue — for pool
  16. track — a song
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mug — a cup

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