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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — to grow
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — the fish
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. march — music
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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