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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cap — a hat
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — to grow
  22. row — a line
  23. lean — thin
  24. mouse — the animal

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