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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mate — a partner
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mate — to breed
  19. squash — the sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a great time

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