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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mug — a face
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cue — a signal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ground — crushed
  12. staff — employees
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ground — a position
  15. mug — to rob
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. staff — employees
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — a stick

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