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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — to grow
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — a grade
  24. deal — to handle

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