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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. game — a match
  3. fall — the season
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. band — a ring
  19. deal — to handle
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a music group

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