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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. roll — a list
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. hand — in cards
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mug — a cup
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. roll — a cake
  24. coach — a trainer

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