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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. face — to confront
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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