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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. band — a ring
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pop — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. band — a music group
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — to visit
  14. charge — in control
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. board — a committee
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — to get on
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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