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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.

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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: wax · mug · racket · pit · deal · cold · staff · hide

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mug — to rob
  3. staff — employees
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pit — a hole
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cold — not warm
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — in a race
  13. deal — to handle
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cold — an illness
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mug — a cup

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