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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cue — for pool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. net — in sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. tear — from crying
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. shower — rain
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pound — a weight
  19. net — after costs
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cue — a hint
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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