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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pit — in a race
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wax — to grow
  15. craft — a skill
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — boats
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stand — to bear
  24. chest — a box

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