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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. net — for catching
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. current — happening now
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. chip — to eat
  18. current — electric
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. band — a music group
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. band — a rubber band

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