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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. wax — to grow
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — for catching
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. net — after costs
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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