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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wax — to grow
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — to rob
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — clothes
  17. band — a ring
  18. mug — a face
  19. capital — a city
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fine — all right
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. band — a rubber band

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