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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. net — in sport
  11. club — a group
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bank — for money
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — after costs
  21. season — in sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. bank — of a river

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