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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. board — a committee
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — thin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — to get on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mouse — the animal

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