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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. file — a document
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a tool
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wax — to grow
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a line of people

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