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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. staff — employees
  4. capital — a city
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. staff — employees
  11. toast — bread
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pop — music
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. capital — money
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pop — soda
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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