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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bass — low music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cue — a hint

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