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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rest — what's left
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. content — the amount
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rest — a break
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wound — an injury
  18. content — happy
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — clever
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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