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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rash — a series
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — hasty
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. hand — help
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mate — to breed
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mate — a partner

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