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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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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. straw — a straw man
  4. board — to get on
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mate — to breed
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. craft — a skill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — to eat
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a committee
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mate — a friend

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