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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cell — in biology
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. craft — boats
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fan — to cool the air

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