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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wax — to grow
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — an illness
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bank — of a river
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — in cards
  24. plane — a tool

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