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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rush — hurry
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mark — a grade

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