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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. staff — a stick
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — employees
  24. date — the fruit

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