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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wax — to grow
  5. root — of a word
  6. degree — temperature
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — from a university
  10. root — the cause
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. suit — to fit
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. root — of a plant
  18. clip — a video
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. clip — for paper
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. degree — an amount
  24. coach — a trainer

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