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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — what's left
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — a break
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. last — finally
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. last — to go on
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spring — the season
  18. tube — a container
  19. spring — of water
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — final
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — to grow

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