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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. spring — the season
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — a stone
  7. charge — a price
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — in control
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tube — a container
  12. spring — a coil
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spring — of water
  20. roll — a list
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rock — music
  24. dip — to dunk

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