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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.

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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cue — a hint
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — to rip
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — a position
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cue — for pool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — from crying

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