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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rule — government
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rule — a law
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. deal — a big deal

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