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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. lean — thin
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — happy
  18. content — the amount
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wind — moving air

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