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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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. spring — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ball — a great time
  8. can — a tin
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rash — a series
  19. spring — of water
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lean — thin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ball — a dance

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