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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wax — to grow
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chip — to eat

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