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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · foot · mug · wax · mouse · bat · race · straw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mug — a face
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bear — the animal
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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