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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. object — a thing
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — to go on
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — to protest
  7. drill — the tool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. object — an aim
  11. deal — to handle
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — final
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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