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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — in music
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rule — government
  9. key — for a lock
  10. club — a group
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bass — low music
  17. rule — a law
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. club — for dancing

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