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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hand — help
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. clip — a video
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. clip — for paper
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. clip — to cut
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. temple — a place of worship

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