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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. scale — in music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. chip — for betting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. scale — size or range
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — to get on
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wax — for sculpting

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