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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.

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: bat · mug · mine · spell · mouse · wake · wax · dip

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — a face
  6. mine — for digging
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mug — a cup
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — to grow

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