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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. firm — steady
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. kid — child
  10. firm — decided
  11. track — a song
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rock — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — a company
  18. snap — to click
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. track — a path
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kid — to tease

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