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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a ring
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. track — a song
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mate — a partner
  19. kick — in football
  20. row — a line
  21. suit — clothes
  22. track — a path
  23. row — to paddle
  24. track — to keep track

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