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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rule — a law
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wind — moving air
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. court — of a king
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — of law
  14. can — a tin
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — government
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — for sport
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — to rule out

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