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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — in sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cell — in biology
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rest — a break
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. net — after costs
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  24. ruler — a monarch

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