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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a music group
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bound — certain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bass — the fish
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — to grow
  24. spring — of water

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