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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mine — for digging
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. band — a music group
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. charge — in control
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kick — in football
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — the time now
  20. charge — electricity
  21. band — a ring
  22. wax — to grow
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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