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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chest — a box
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — goods
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stock — shares
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — a soup base

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