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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lean — thin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. row — a line
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wax — to grow

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