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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cue — a hint
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — to crush
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — the fish
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cue — for pool
  23. deal — to handle
  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