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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. scale — size or range
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pop — soda
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. capital — a city
  8. pop — music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. capital — money
  13. kick — in football
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wax — to grow

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