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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — electric
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. current — happening now
  12. mate — to breed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — of water
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. key — the most important part
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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