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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — magic
  18. mate — a friend
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — letters
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rash — a series

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