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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chest — a box
  11. plane — a tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. clip — for paper
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rush — hurry
  24. clip — a video

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