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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 124 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. file — a tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a line of people
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — letters
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — low music
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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