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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.

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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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468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fine — high quality
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fine — all right
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — the animal

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