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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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