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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. last — final
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bear — the animal
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. object — an aim
  14. last — finally
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. key — in music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. shower — rain
  23. key — the most important part
  24. last — to go on

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