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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. firm — decided
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. firm — steady
  17. mate — a partner
  18. firm — a company
  19. spring — of water
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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