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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bass — low music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — a tin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — a stick
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — employees
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bass — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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