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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. charge — in control
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cell — in biology
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. object — to protest
  15. rush — hurry
  16. object — a thing
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — a face
  20. swing — in golf
  21. charge — a price
  22. cell — a phone
  23. swing — music
  24. rush — to hurry

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