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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stock — goods
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a dance
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — a path
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lean — thin
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. track — a song
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stock — a soup base

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