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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wind — moving air
  3. season — in sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stock — shares
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. season — of the year
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stock — goods
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — a price
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. plane — a tool

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