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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — clever
  8. net — in sport
  9. wax — to grow
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wake — a trail
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. rock — music

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