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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. shower — rain
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. file — a tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. suit — clothes
  16. file — a document
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — in the ear

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