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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. swing — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — to get on
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mark — a grade
  22. board — a committee
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — to pay attention

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