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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: wax · fan · sharp · wind · mug · mouse · rest · board

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mug — a face
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wind — moving air

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