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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. firm — steady
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — shares
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mark — a trace
  16. firm — a company
  17. stock — goods
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. firm — decided
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. face — to point toward

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