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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mug — a face
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. kid — to tease
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — child
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wax — for sculpting

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