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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. present — the time now
  3. mug — to rob
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mug — a face
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — a safe
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of a king
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mug — a cup
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — there
  24. court — for sport

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