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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rest — what's left
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wax — in the ear

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