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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. land — a country
  3. cue — for pool
  4. track — a song
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cue — a signal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. tube — a container
  13. land — to come down
  14. tube — the underground
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. cue — a hint
  23. track — a path
  24. lean — to rest against

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