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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — a break
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — shares
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — in music
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pass — to spend time

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