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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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 — for sculpting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rock — music
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  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