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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rash — a series
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mate — to breed
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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