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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wax — to grow
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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