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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — to grow
  5. file — a document
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. chair — a leader
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. file — a line of people

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