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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. saw — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. race — the arms race
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. charge — in control
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. race — a contest
  21. charge — a price
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — electricity
  24. race — humankind

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