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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — the month
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. squash — to crush
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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