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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. file — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mark — a grade
  22. key — in music
  23. mark — a trace
  24. key — for a lock

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