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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rock — music
  10. cue — a hint
  11. prune — to trim
  12. drill — army training
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — to keep track
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. track — a path
  20. rest — a break
  21. track — a song
  22. cue — for pool
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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