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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mine — for digging
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. kick — in football
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bass — low music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bass — the fish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ground — crushed
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ground — a position
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wax — to grow

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