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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — to grow
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — decided
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. firm — a company
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rock — music
  15. charge — a price
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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