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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. drill — a practice
  5. track — a path
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. track — a song
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — happy
  12. cell — a phone
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cell — in biology
  18. staff — employees
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — army training
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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