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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — army training
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. drill — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — a path
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — a practice
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — to grow
  24. leaves — to go away

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