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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stock — goods
  12. rush — hurry
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. club — for golf
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wax — to grow

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