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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
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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: mine · racket · hand · rest · wax · dip · mug · pound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — for digging
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — help
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wax — in the ear

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