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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. net — after costs
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. net — for catching
  24. scale — in music

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