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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rest — a break
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a document
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hand — help
  20. bat — the animal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bulb — for light

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