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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. race — the arms race
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. shower — rain
  15. race — a contest
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — a price
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — humankind
  21. ball — a dance
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — the vegetable

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