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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rush — hurry

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