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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 120 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — to grow
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. band — a music group

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