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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. content — the amount
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. wax — to grow
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cap — a lid
  11. file — a document
  12. current — electric
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — a hat
  16. charge — a price
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. charge — in control
  19. file — a tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a line of people
  22. content — happy
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cap — of ice

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