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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. press — to push
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. charge — a price
  10. content — happy
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. charge — in control
  14. content — the amount
  15. wax — to grow
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. press — newspapers

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