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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. net — after costs
  6. pop — to visit
  7. net — for catching
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — music
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — in sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pop — soda
  22. shower — rain
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — on a finger

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