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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — decided
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tear — from crying
  11. firm — a company
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — steady
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. tear — from crying
  22. court — of law
  23. season — of the year
  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