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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rash — a series
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — thin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chip — to eat
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stand — for spectators

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