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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 120 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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468
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cue — a signal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cue — for pool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to click
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cell — in biology
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lean — thin
  24. hide — animal skin

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