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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bat — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — a young animal

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