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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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rule — a law
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — to grow
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. charge — electricity

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