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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — for sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. court — of law
  7. tear — from crying
  8. court — of a king
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. field — a subject
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wax — to grow
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. mark — a trace

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