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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. club — for golf
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rule — a law
  17. track — a song
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. race — humankind
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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