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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pit — in a race
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. suit — to fit
  10. sharp — clever
  11. game — a match
  12. mark — a grade
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pit — a hole
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. suit — in cards
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mark — a trace

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