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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a great time
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pound — a weight
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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