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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 116 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tube — a container
  3. mug — a face
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. tube — the underground
  8. court — of law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — for sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. net — in sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wax — to grow
  20. net — for catching
  21. bound — obliged
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bound — certain

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