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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — a match
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ball — a dance
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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