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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bass — low music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. degree — an amount
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bass — the fish

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