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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. root — the cause
  4. rock — music
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. court — of law
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rash — hasty
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rock — a stone
  15. court — for sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. root — of a word
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. court — of a king

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