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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.

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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. cap — of ice
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cap — a lid
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cue — for pool
  12. season — in sport
  13. cap — a hat
  14. snap — to click
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. branch — a division
  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