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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — of ice
  5. season — of the year
  6. tube — the underground
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. current — electric
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tube — a container
  16. cap — a hat
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. current — of water
  19. season — in sport
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — happening now
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — an untruth

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