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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fine — all right
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — a grade
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a music group
  18. shower — rain
  19. pop — soda
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pop — to visit
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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