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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — for money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — for pool
  7. charge — a price
  8. rule — a law
  9. cue — a hint
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. bank — of a river
  16. band — a music group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. charge — in control
  24. bank — for money

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