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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. swing — in golf
  3. content — happy
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. race — humankind
  6. charge — a price
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — to play on
  9. charge — in control
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — electricity
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ball — a great time
  17. content — the amount
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. swing — music
  23. race — a contest
  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