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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — a short time
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. roll — a list
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. roll — a cake

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