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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mine — for digging
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — to crush
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wax — to grow
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. squash — the sport
  16. degree — an amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. perch — the fish
  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