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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mark — a trace
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rock — music

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