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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to click
  5. capital — money
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. suit — to fit
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. suit — clothes
  22. roll — a list
  23. capital — a city
  24. roll — a cake

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