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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tear — from crying
  7. scale — size or range
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. scale — in music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. net — after costs
  24. tear — to rip

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