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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mate — a partner
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mate — to breed
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to click
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bowl — to roll

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