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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · wax · wake · wind · jam · pitcher · mouse · stand

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — a trail
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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