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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lean — thin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. field — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lean — to bend
  15. field — farmland
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. snap — to click
  22. field — a subject
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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