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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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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. spring — of water
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — to grow
  17. face — to confront
  18. spring — a coil
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pass — a permit

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