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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. land — ground
  7. wax — to grow
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a music group
  12. land — to come down
  13. band — a ring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — a country
  24. fan — a supporter

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