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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 116 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wax — to grow
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for dancing
  8. root — the cause
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — there
  11. club — for golf
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. root — of a word
  16. club — a group
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a plant
  24. snap — to click

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