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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — the arms race
  10. vault — a safe
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stock — shares
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. saw — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — humankind
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rest — a break
  20. race — a contest
  21. stock — goods
  22. wax — to grow
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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