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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 116 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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. net — for catching
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cue — a signal
  22. net — after costs
  23. kick — in football
  24. net — in sport

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