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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wound — an injury
  7. hand — help
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. branch — a division
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. branch — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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