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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. band — a music group
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pop — soda
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. toast — bread
  23. stem — to come from
  24. band — a ring

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