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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — of the year
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. march — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. charge — electricity
  13. march — the month
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. fine — high quality
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — to grow
  23. firm — steady
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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