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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. branch — a division
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pop — soda
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. chair — a leader
  14. key — the most important part
  15. foot — a measure
  16. key — in music
  17. pop — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pop — to visit
  23. snap — to click
  24. lash — an eyelash

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