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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. band — a music group
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. scale — in music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rush — to hurry

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