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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cap — a lid
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. roll — a list
  18. wax — to grow
  19. net — in sport
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cap — of ice
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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