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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. tube — the underground
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mug — a face
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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