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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — help
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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