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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — a gift
  3. charge — electricity
  4. march — the month
  5. present — the time now
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. present — there
  11. track — a path
  12. march — the month
  13. charge — in control
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — music
  17. face — to confront
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. wax — in the ear

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