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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 124 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — steady
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. firm — a company
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — to grow
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. firm — decided
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. trunk — of a car

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