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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. board — to get on
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ground — the earth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — to grow
  9. board — a committee
  10. ground — crushed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ground — a position
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — a division
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — help
  24. can — to be able to

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