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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — magic
  6. charge — a price
  7. rash — a series
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wax — to grow
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — hasty
  16. charge — in control
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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