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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · wax · present · bowl · game · mouse · cell · key

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. present — there
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. present — the time now
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. key — for a lock
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. key — in music
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — a gift

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