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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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. suit — clothes
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. rush — hurry
  11. field — a subject
  12. wax — to grow
  13. craft — boats
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. field — farmland
  17. bat — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. field — for sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. craft — a handicraft

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