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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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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mug — a face
  4. field — farmland
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. file — a document
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — a subject
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting

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