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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. charge — in control
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. charge — a price
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — electricity
  12. race — humankind
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. current — electric
  16. net — for catching
  17. current — of water
  18. net — after costs
  19. wax — to grow
  20. net — in sport
  21. land — ground
  22. current — happening now
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. race — a contest

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