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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stock — shares
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stock — goods
  17. tear — from crying
  18. toast — bread
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tear — to rip
  24. present — the time now

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