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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. charge — a price
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stem — to come from
  7. spell — magic
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. scale — in music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. roll — a list
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. scale — size or range
  20. charge — electricity
  21. spell — a short time
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stem — a stem cell

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