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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bound — tied together
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — bread
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bound — certain
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wax — to grow
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. date — the fruit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bound — obliged

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