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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — a break
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bank — of a river
  13. present — the time now
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — there
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — a gift
  22. chest — a box
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — what's left

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