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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cell — a phone
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — in biology
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — to grow
  17. snap — to click
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mouse — the animal

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