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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. season — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — the season
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. object — to protest
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. object — a thing
  19. chip — for betting
  20. season — of the year
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wax — to grow
  24. chip — to eat

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