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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lean — thin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. toast — bread
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. lean — to bend
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. squash — the sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. firm — steady
  24. dip — to sink

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