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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — a measure
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wax — to grow
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. band — a music group
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ruler — for measuring

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