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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cue — a signal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. mug — a cup
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cue — a hint
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. mug — a face
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. coach — a trainer

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