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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.

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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. foot — a measure
  7. suit — to fit
  8. net — after costs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wax — to grow
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. net — for catching
  24. foot — part of the body

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