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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. drill — army training
  11. wax — to grow
  12. track — a path
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a song
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bat — for baseball

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