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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 124 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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cap — a lid
  6. present — there
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. squash — the sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ball — a dance
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a great time
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. squash — to crush

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