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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — a stone
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. drill — army training
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. key — in music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wake — a trail

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