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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — army training
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. drill — the tool
  16. content — happy
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pit — in a race
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

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