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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. cap — a lid
  9. suit — clothes
  10. charge — in control
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wax — to grow
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. court — for sport
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. suit — in cards
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. suit — to fit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — of a king

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