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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — a series
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. snap — to click
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wax — to grow
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rash — hasty
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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