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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — the fish
  5. track — a path
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bank — of a river
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — to keep track
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. track — a song
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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