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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 120 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. shower — rain
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. shower — to wash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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