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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tube — a container
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — a break
  9. club — for golf
  10. kid — child
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. club — a group
  17. kid — to tease
  18. club — for dancing

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