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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lean — thin
  5. ball — a dance
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. court — for sport
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. can — a tin
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kid — child
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kid — to tease
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. can — to be able to

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