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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — to wash
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lie — to recline
  19. charge — in control
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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