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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wax — to grow
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. march — music
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. march — the month
  24. bank — of a river

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