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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. land — ground
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — the fish
  19. ball — a great time
  20. snap — to click
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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