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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. content — the amount
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. shower — rain
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. shower — to wash
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cap — a hat
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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