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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bound — certain
  9. firm — a company
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. date — the fruit
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — to grow
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mark — a trace
  23. firm — steady
  24. bound — tied together

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