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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. scale — in music
  13. capital — a city
  14. rest — what's left
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — a break
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. scale — size or range
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — money

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