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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — a company
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. firm — decided
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rash — a series
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — hasty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. firm — steady

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