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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.

Make a worksheet

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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wax — to grow
  5. net — for catching
  6. land — ground
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — in music
  10. court — of a king
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. net — after costs
  14. court — of law
  15. land — a country
  16. court — for sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — to come down
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. lash — an eyelash

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