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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — help
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. band — a music group
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. tear — to rip
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — to get on
  19. tube — a container
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. band — a ring

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