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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. present — there
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bound — tied together
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. march — the month
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. present — a gift
  22. foot — a measure
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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