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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hand — help
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. file — a tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. charge — a price
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — for sport
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wax — to grow

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