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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: arm · mate · squash · mouse · saw · bear · wax · rock

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rock — music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wax — to grow
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mate — a partner
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mate — to breed
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bear — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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