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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wax — to grow
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — clever
  17. drill — the tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. roll — a list
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. roll — a cake

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