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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. last — final
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cue — a hint
  7. prune — to trim
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. last — to go on
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. last — finally
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. suit — in cards
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. prune — the fruit

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