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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitch — completely
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. drill — army training
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bark — to shout
  15. drill — the tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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