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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. net — in sport
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. net — after costs
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wax — to grow
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. track — a path
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. drill — army training
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. track — a song
  24. net — for catching

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