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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cue — a signal
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. firm — steady
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — for pool
  16. staff — a stick
  17. key — for a lock
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cue — a hint
  20. swing — in golf
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. staff — employees
  23. swing — music
  24. chair — a leader

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