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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wax — to grow
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mate — to breed

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