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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — completely
  4. root — of a plant
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. sharp — clever
  15. file — a line of people
  16. root — the cause
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. root — of a word
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. file — a tool

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