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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — hurry
  24. tube — in a tire

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