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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — the underground
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rush — hurry
  13. key — in music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kick — in football
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tube — a container
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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